Page 1833 - Politics
'#ParayaKaamApna' is BJP's development mantra: SP
The Samajwadi Party on Friday used a variant of the popular Hindi idiom "Ram Ram japna paraya maal apna" to criticise the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh for apparently trying to take credit of the metro project in Greater Noida ahead of Lok Sabha polls. The opposition party in Uttar Pradesh said the work on the metro project was started during the chief ministership of Akhilesh Yadav in 2016. "The Noida metro line was delayed despite the completion of work for political mileage. But remember this government only inaugurated it and not built it," SP leader and former minister Abhishek Mishra said on Twitter in Hindi. "Ram Ram Japna #ParayaKaamApna nothing describes the present government more accurately than this phrase," he said in another tweet. The idiom refers to a situation when credit for something done by a person is taken by someone else. Mishra also said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath "re-inaugurated" the metro project in 2017 after its actual inauguration in 2017, and now
Govt awards 235 routes under regional air connectivity scheme
The government Friday announced awarding 235 routes under the third round of the regional connectivity scheme. SpiceJet, IndiGo, Jet Airways, Air India subsidiary Alliance, and Turbo Aviation are among the operators that have bagged the routes, according to the civil aviation ministry. The ministry has also approved operation of seaplanes by SpiceJet and Turbo Aviation under the scheme. Under UDAN-III, 235 routes have been awarded to 11 operators, an official said. Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) or the regional air connectivity scheme seeks to connect unserved and underserved airports as well as make flying affordable.
Rahul accuses Modi, Patnaik of befooling farmers
Congress President Rahul Gandhi Friday charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his "junior partner" in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, with befooling farmers by talking big but delivering little, and showering gifts on their industrialist-friends. Addressing a Congress rally here, Gandhi promised to farmers of Odisha that farm loans will be waived in 10 days if his party is voted to power in the state. Odisha goes for assembly polls later this year. He gave example of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, where the party formed its governments recently and fulfilled the commitment of loan waiver well before the 10-day time-period promised. He alleged that Narendra Modi "remote-controls" Patnaik, who heads the state's ruling Biju Janata Dal. The Congress president accused Modi and Patnaik of doing their marketing through industrialists.
Priyanka's entry into politics not sudden: Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday said his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's entry into politics was not sudden as she had decided to play a role in the party after her children grew up. The decision on the timing of Priyanka's political plunge was taken some years ago. She was delaying it because of the children, he said, replying to a question at an interactive session here. "Now her children are grown-ups. While one of them has entered university, another too has grown up. Therefore, she decided to join politics," he said. On Priyanka's political role, Gandhi said her main job is to revive the Congress in Uttar Pradesh. No decision on her role outside that state has been taken. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra plunged into active politics on Wednesday and was made AICC general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East in a move reflecting the party's intent to go full throttle in the northern state in the run-up to the parliamentary polls. Stating that he and Priyanka share a strong bond, the ...
T'gana Governor asks youth to enroll as voters
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan Friday appealed to students and others who have attained the age of 18, to enrol their names in the electoral rolls and participate in the elections to cast their vote to elect the right government. According to an official release, he along with Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar and state Election Commissioner Nagi Reddy participated in National Voters Day celebrations held here. The Governor also distributed voter identity cards to the newly enrolled voters who have attained the age of 18 as on January 1, 2019 and also awarded senior IAS Officials who have conducted the assembly elections in a smooth and peaceful manner, it said. Rajat Kumar said the recent Assembly elections were conducted with transparency, increasing the polling percentage without any untoward incidents. He also said the officials are in the process of preparing for the Lok Sabha polls.
Sugarcane juice declared 'national drink' of Pakistan
The Pakistan government on Friday declared sugarcane juice as the "national drink" of the country.
VP to inaugurate golden jubilee celebrations of Kollam Press
: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the golden jubilee celebrations of the Press Club here on February 2. Naidu would unveil a plaque and commemorative postal stamp marking the 50th anniversary of the Press Club at a function to be held at the convention centre here. An array of dignitaries including Governor P Sathasivam, Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma, Member of Parliament N K Premachandran and MLAs are expected to take part in the event, office-bearers of the press club said Friday. Year-long programmes including seminars, debates, exhibitions and cultural events are planned to mark the occasion, they said. Set up during the 1960s, the Kollam Press Club has been playing an significant role in the socio-cultural scenario of the southern district.
India on way to becoming 5th largest economy in world: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said India is on the way to becoming the fifth largest economy in the world. Speaking at the India-South Africa Business Summit here, he said India is the world's fastest-growing major economy and the government is committed to reforms that will further propel it. At USD 2.6 trillion, the Indian economy is currently ranked sixth in the world behind the US, China, Japan, Germany and the UK. Modi listed out government's initiatives including the push for boosting domestic manufacturing through Make in India and digitising the economy through Digital India.
Save the cheap shots: Omar to Sumitra Mahajan on remarks against Priyanka
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Friday criticised Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan for her remarks that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took the political plunge as Congress chief Rahul Gandhi could not handle his responsibilities. Reminding Mahajan that she was the Speaker of the lower house of Parliament, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) advised her to "save the cheap shots" and maintain the dignity of the office. "Ma'am you are the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Can you save the cheap shots for when you no longer occupy that high office," Omar tweeted. The veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had Thursday said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's entry into politics showed that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi could not handle politics alone and needed his sisters' help. "Priyanka is a good woman. But her appointment also shows Rahul has understood that he cannot do politics alone, so he asked his sister Priyanka to help him," Mahajan had said in Indore. Ending years of ...
Nepal-India relations need to be nurtured, updated: Nepali leaders
Nepal and India should be sensitive towards each others' concerns and they should cooperate with each other to move forward on the path of mutual interest, senior Nepali leaders said on Friday. Talking to reporters here on the eve of India's Republic Day, the leaders also called for the early adoption and implementation of the Eminent Persons' Group's report (EPG) on Nepal-India relations to further strengthen the ties. Senior leader of Nepali Congress and former Finance Minister Ramsharan Mahat said the bilateral relations should contribute towards attaining economic prosperity for Nepal. "Nepal has a huge trade deficit with India and to reduce the deficit Nepal should increase its export to India which requires favourable laws and agreements," Mahat said. "India's Republic Day is an important event for those countries that have gained freedom from colonialism," said Mahat. The report prepared by the EPG of the two countries is an important step taken towards making bilateral ...
Exclusive: Hindu group RSS urges Modi to resist U.S. push to ease e-commerce curbs
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A Hindu nationalist group close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party has urged him to resist pressure from the United States and not defer new regulations for the e-commerce sector, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
Opposition accuses Modi of using agencies for political vendetta
Calling the CBI's booking of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda a result of "Modis political vendetta", the Congress on Friday warned the Central agencies and their officers of going against their legal mandate to further the interests of their political masters.
National Voters Day: NCP asks people to vote scrupulously
The NCP Friday marked National Voters Day by asking electors to exercise their franchise scrupulously and also verify if their names figured in the electoral rolls. The National Voters Day is being observed on January 25 every year since 2011 to mark the formation of the Election Commission on the day in 1950. The Nationalist Congress Party made the appeal amid allegations made by ally Congress recently that "bogus electors" were being enrolled in the voters list. "On the occasion of the National Voters' Day, I appeal all the eligible voters from the country, particularly the youth, to make the right use of their Constitutional right," former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Twitter. He also extended wishes to the Election Commission for its contribution towards "honouring" the largest democracy of the world. NCP MP from Baramati, Supriya Sule, urged voters to remain alert and check if their names were part of the list. The party's national ...
India, South Africa unveil 3-year roadmap to take forward strategic partnership
India and South Africa on Friday unveiled a three-year roadmap to take forward their strategic partnership as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who will be Chief Guest at this year's Republic Day parade.Official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Raveesh Kumar, took to Twitter, saying, "Shared common vision 3-Year Strategic Programme of Cooperation: South Africa & India 2019-2021-a comprehensive document outlining the road map for cooperation was exchanged by EAM @SushmaSwaraj & FM Ms Lindiwe Sisulu in the presence of PM @narendramodi & President @CyrilRamaphosa."Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his media statement after the delegational level talks at Hyderabad House, invoked the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela to stress on the close bilateral ties.He said the two sides had reviewed all the dimensions of their ties. relations. "Our trade and investment relations are becoming more and ...
Creating hurdles in AAP govt functioning 'betrayal to country': Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday said creating hurdles in the functioning of the AAP government is like "betrayal to the country". In his around 20-minute speech during state level Republic Day function at Chhatrasal Stadium here, Kejriwal alleged his government was stopped from buildings schools, hospitals and mohalla clinics in the city. The chief minister said before independence, there were some people who used to help the British to weaken the fight of revolutionaries and today as well, there are still some such people who try to do the same to the country. "If I construct schools, hospitals, mohalla clincs for people, what wrong I do? I am stopped from building schools. I want to ask the entire country what can be more patriotic," he said without naming anyone. On several occasions in the past, Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party have been accusing the BJP-led central government of creating hurdles in the works of Delhi government. In reference to the AAP government's Rs
More than 350 protesters detained in Venezuela this week: UN
More than 350 people in Venezuela have been arrested this week during demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro's government, the UN rights chief said Friday, calling for "immediate talks" to ease tensions. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said her office had "reports of large-scale detention of demonstrators -- well over 350 in total (this week), including 320 on 23 January alone".
Priyanka is 'trump card' for Congress; Rahul has brought her at right time: Shiv Sena
The party, which is a constituent of the NDA governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra, also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for describing Priyanka's entry into politics as dynastic politics.Terming Priyanka as a "trump card" for the Congress, it said, "If people have accepted the legacy of this (Gandhi) family, then why do others have a problem with it?"Priyanka, whose entry into politics was a guessing game for several years, formally made her foray, with the Congress appointing her General Secretary in-charge of crucial Uttar Pradesh state's eastern part."The Congress has appointed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at the right time. She is a trump card for Congress," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI.Showering praise on Rahul Gandhi, he said the Congress president doesn't give false assurances. "Till now, he has not (given false assurances) as he is not in power," he elaborated.Entry of Priyanka into politics is "a very good bet" by Rahul Gandhi, an editorial in Shiv Sena's ...
French anti-aircraft destroyer in India weeks after operationalisation of logistics pact
As part of efforts to expand bilateral naval cooperation, French Navy's anti-aircraft destroyer FNS Cassard has docked at Mumbai following a reciprocal logistics support agreement signed between the two countries that came into effect recently. The French embassy here said the logistics support pact concluded during the India visit of President Emmanuel Macron in March last year came into operation a few weeks ago. In a statement, it said the visit illustrates, in more ways than one, the continuous deepening of France and India's partnership in the Indian Ocean, guided by the joint strategic vision adopted by both the countries last year. The Cassard-class destroyer last November successfully conducted a rescue mission when a tanker with an Indian crew was shipwrecked. During the port call from January 24 to 29, the FNS Cassard will attend the visit of an EU military delegation promoting the bloc's role in fighting piracy and in providing maritime security in the Indian Ocean through .
Prepare for worst, safeguard President Xi's leadership: China's Communist Party to its cadre
President Xi Jinping's close aide and ideologue of the ruling Communist Party has warned the party carde to prepare for the worst, ahead of the key China-US make or break talks to end the trade war between the world's two largest economies, media report said Friday. Wang Huning, the "ideological guru" of the Communist Party of China (CPC) who is also part of the seven-member Standing Committee, the highest-ranking body of the party, told the senior officials to safeguard Xi's leadership and toe the party line, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. Xi, 65, is regarded as the most powerful leader after Mao Zedong, heading the party, the military and the Presidency. The CPC wrapped up a four-day study session on Thursday in which hundreds of party officials from all over the country took part. The meeting deliberated on risk controls which underlined the leadership's deep concern about growing external volatility and uncertainty amid its high-stakes trade war with the ...
Priyanka's appointment not a sudden decision: Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday said his sister Priyanka Gandhi's appointment as the General Secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh was not a sudden decision as he had been discussing it with her for years now.